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Much is written about stress in the workplace, but until the causes of stress are identified, little can be done to address the problem. This article reports results of a survey of 198 randomly selected radiologic technologists who were asked to assess the relative stressfulness of 35 stressors. Disrespectful physicians, inadequate pay, unnecessary exams and lack of staff topped the list.
Recent technologic advances in the field of radiology have resulted in the availability of several new tests with potential applications for disease screening. Presently, these tests are being marketed directly to patients as noninvasive means to provide peace of mind that they are disease free. Such assurance is appealing to many individuals, and some are willing to spend up to 1500 dollars to choose from a menu of available diagnostic options. Given that a physician's referral is unnecessary, many healthcare providers are unaware that such testing has taken place until their patients present to them with abnormal test results. In this review, we examine the evidence supporting the use of electron beam computed tomography for coronary artery disease screening, spiral computed tomography of the chest for lung cancer screening, computed tomographic colonography for colon cancer screening, and total-body computed tomography for general screening. Although some of these modalities show promise for the future, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of any of these testing methods for secondary prevention. The potential for harm associated with false-positive test results, false-negative test results, undue anxiety, and radiation exposure exists but requires further study to quantify actual risk.
Various societal changes, including a new health awareness and increased federal involvement in health care, are altering the nature of health care delivery. This article discusses the nature of the national initiative in health promotion/disease prevention and attempts to give a meaningful role for radiologic technologists in the HP/DP movement.
In recent years, the distribution of medical information through Internet technology has been increasingly promoted as a result of the December 2001 initiative of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare known as "the grand design for the application of welfare and medical care information technology in the field of health." In June 1999, we developed a bed management system that uses a local area network (LAN). The ultimate goals of this systems configuration were the development of an order-entry system, an electronic health-record system, and improved information sharing. The system, which was created by employing widely used software, rationalized daily work by integrating patient information, hospitalization information, radiological examination reservation information, physiological examination reservation information, and rehabilitation reservation information. The radiological examination reservation information system that our radiology department uses is one of these systems. Electronic preservation of the reservation list is carried out in the radiology department, and information on examinations is input. The resulting full-scale order-entry system was introduced in July 2002, and it has improved the sharing of information among staff members.
The Clinical Allied Health Education Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan, supported by Ferris State College, Big Rapids, Michigan, under Contract No. 1-AH-44106 with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, designed a model for the clinical education of allied health personnel. Research concerning the cost of clinical education was a necessary part of the model design process. The primary purpose of this case study was to determine, in dollar terms, the cost or benefit to Hospital B, using available data, or data which could be developed with little effort by the hospital. The study breaks down the component costs into determinable factors, and assigns a dollar value to each. A value is also assigned to that portion of the student's activities that produced revenue for the hospital. Expenses related to the production of revenue by students are calculated and applied against said revenue in accordance with the matching principle. The result when revenue and expense were matched was net benefit of $46, 186 to Hospital B.
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Growing public interest in health and fitness have fueled the development of sports medicine, a field devoted to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sports-related injuries. This article examines the types and locations of common sports injuries, the mechanisms of injury and the role of imaging in diagnosis. The special needs of pediatric patients are considered throughout.
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Nearly 100 years from its birth, radiology continues to grow as though still in adolescence. Although some radiologic technologies have matured more than others, new applications and techniques appear regularly in the literature. Radiology has evolved from purely diagnostic devices to interventional technologies. New contrast agents in MRI, X ray and ultrasound enable physicians to make diagnoses and plan therapies with greater precision than ever before. Techniques are less and less invasive. Advances in computer technology have given supercomputer-like power to high-end nuclear medicine and MRI systems. Imaging systems in most modalities are now designed with upgrades in mind instead of "planned obsolescence." Companies routinely upgrade software and other facets of their products, sometimes at no additional charge to existing customers. Hospitals, radiology groups and imaging centers will face increasing demands to justify what they do according to patient outcomes and management criteria. Did images make the diagnosis or confirm it? Did the images determine optimal treatment strategies or confirm which strategies might be appropriate? Third-party payers, especially the government, will view radiology in those terms. The diagnostic imaging and therapy systems of today require increasingly sophisticated technical support for maintenance and repair. Hospitals, radiology groups and imaging centers will have to determine the most economic and effective ways to guarantee equipment up-time. Borrowing from the automotive industry, some radiology manufacturers have devised transtelephonic software systems to facilitate remote troubleshooting. To ensure their fiscal viability, hospitals continue to acquire new imaging and therapy technologies for competitive and access-to-services reasons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Technologic advances in radiographic equipment and procedures for four different areas of diagnostic radiology are reviewed: bone mineral assessments, musculoskeletal imaging, mammography, and chest imaging. For bone mineral assessments the accuracy and precision obtained using single- and dual-energy photon absorptiometry, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and quantitative CT are summarized. Various digital systems employed in musculoskeletal imaging are reviewed. In mammography, papers related to accreditation and research interests are highlighted. The use of photo-simulated phosphor plates and scanned equalization radiographic systems for chest imaging are discussed. Finally advances in radiographic film processing are noted.
Work-related stressors have been linked to a number of diseases, both physical and psychological. Previous studies have revealed that the stressful occupational components are particularly apparent in health care occupations. Occupational sources of stress in three allied health disciplines--nuclear medicine technology, radiologic technology, and medical technology--were studied over the last three years via responses from approximately 500 practitioners. The top five stressors in each discipline were as follows: nuclear medicine technology--equipment malfunctions, add-on examinations, uncooperative physicians, lack of staff, and uncooperative patients; radiography--disrespectful physicians, inadequate pay, unnecessary examinations, lack of staff, and lack of respect; and medical technology--equipment breakdown, poor management practices, difficult coworkers, lack of time, and exposure to human immunodeficiency virus. It is crucial for administrators and fellow health care professionals to be aware of and address those areas of job-related stress that may impact the quality of patient care and the well-being of the allied health professional.
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Radiologic technology education consists of three components--didactic, laboratory, and clinical. For effective education to take place and for each program to meet its goal of preparing practitioners who have a firm theoretical foundation and are proficient technologically in radiologic technology, the three components must be integrated. Integration facilitates the transfer of theoretical and practical knowledge into the intellectual, psychomotor, and affective skills necessary for patient care. The totality of the integrated educational experience makes the competent professional. Integration of the educational components is best achieved by a systematic approach to curriculum development. The steps in the curriculum development process consist of (1) the formulation of a philosophy; (2) the establishment of competencies; (3) the identification of resources; (4) the development and sequencing of courses; (5) the identification of teaching strategies; and (6) evaluation. When the clinical component of the educational program is weighted appropriately and well-integrated into a systematic process of curriculum development, student learning is maximized and graduate professional performance is enhanced.
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